The decrease in the unintentional injury mortality disparity between American Indians/Alaska Natives and non-American Indians/Alaska Natives in New Mexico, 1980 to 2009.

OBJECTIVES We tracked the unintentional injury death disparity between American Indians/Alaska Natives and non-American Indians/Alaska Natives in New Mexico, 1980 to 2009. METHODS We calculated age-adjusted rates and rate ratios for unintentional injury deaths and their external causes among American Indians/Alaska Natives and non-American Indians/Alaska Natives. We tested trend significance with the Mann-Kendall test. RESULTS The unintentional injury death rate ratio of American Indians/Alaska Natives to non-American Indians/Alaska Natives declined from 2.9 in 1980-1982 to 1.5 in 2007-2009. The rate among American Indians/Alaska Natives decreased 47.2% from 1980-1982 to 1995-1997. Among non-American Indians/Alaska Natives, the rate declined 25.3% from 1980-1982 to 1992-1994, then increased 31.9% from 1992-1994 to 2007-2009. The motor vehicle traffic and pedestrian death rates decreased 57.8% and 74.6%, respectively, among American Indians/Alaska Natives from 1980-1982 to 2007-2009. CONCLUSIONS The unintentional injury death rate disparity decreased substantially from 1980-1982 to 2007-2009 largely because of the decrease in motor vehicle crash and pedestrian death rates among American Indians/Alaska Natives and the increase in the poisoning death rate among non-American Indians/Alaska Natives.